ABSTRACT
The rapidly increasing number of nuclear power plants around the world increases the chance that a catastrophic accident will occur someplace. Although the potential for a catastrophic accident raises our prime concern, a more serious risk over the long run could come from the cumulative impact of countless minor releases of radioactivity. The equipment was sufficiently good that, except for human failures, the major accident at Three Mile Island would have been a minor incident. The Commission is convinced that the attitude must be changed to one that says nuclear power is by its very nature potentially dangerous, and one must continually question whether the safeguards already in place are sufficient to prevent major accidents. Besides the direct problems for affected individuals, the fear of nuclear power creates a major problem for our society. The Commission during its deliberations considered several resolutions calling for a moratorium on construction permits for new nuclear power plants.
